Managed to snag a video chat (using the Kodak Zi8 and an external mike) with Stewart Kirkpatrick, the former Scotsman.com editor yesterday over his plans for a new Scottish newspaper. Opening details on his project can be found on AllMediaScotland (MediaGuardian article here).

Stewart is naturally giving very little away at this moment – and I’ll post my actual thoughts in a later blog – but here he points out what will make it different from The Huffington Post, what PRs should do to engage this new paper and what he’s actually going to do with the print element of this.

I’ve gleaned some tidbits from talking to a  lot of people and here’s what I’ve pieced together:

• The launch date is Burns Night, Jan 25 2010
• Reporting team in the double digits, covering multiple topics
• Reporters will get paid
• Online first with print to follow
• There’s a solid business plan behind it
• There’s no offices
• PR should send stories but never call to see if they got the release
• The staff is in place and locked for the launch period
• Stewart’s been swamped by CVs from reporters
• His work at W00tonomy will continue